Rose of Sharyn
by punkydiva17
Summary: Cody Rhodes finds a young woman running away from home on a rainy night. Can he get her where she needs to go? With somebody hot on their trails, can Cody keep her safe? R
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Sharyn Halliday stormed down the dusty roads, arms crossed over her chest, nothing more than a backpack slung over her left shoulder. She was a young girl of nineteen, dressed in a pair of faded and torn black jeans and a baggy blue T-shirt with the Superman logo emblazened across the chest. She had long black hair and piercing green eyes that harbored more pain than she ever wanted to talk about.

Life hadn't been particularly easy for Sharyn; her parents had lived the hippie lifestyle and married too young; splitting up when Sharyn was a toddler. Her father met and married another woman, who didn't want kids and couldn't be bothered with Sharyn, so contact with her father had faded into obscurity. Life with her mother was no prize, either. Her mother was still young, irresponsible and wanted to just fit in with whatever crowd showed her any attention. She had fallen into drugs, liquor and slept around with a lot of men who would leer at Sharyn as she blossomed into a young woman. But Sharyn had never complained; she went to school, focused on her studies, and she was a smart girl, trying to keep herself destined for bigger and better things. She always used her mother as a reason to maintain a straight-edged lifestyle.

She had tried working to save up some kind of money to move out of her mother's house, but she was constantly bailing her mother out of financial situations, with her mother's constant promises to pay her back. Like a fool, Sharyn always fell for it, handing over everything she had to help her mother get groceries in the house, or keep her car running so she could work. Whatever happened to be the excuse that week. Then her mother had met a guy named Gene Snitsky and things had gone downhill.

Sharyn couldn't figure out what her mother saw in Gene. He was gross, with thinning brown hair that he eventually shaved, a long goatee and blue eyes. His face seemed almost bloated, his physique evident of muscles and fat, his teeth a disgusting yellow that made Sharyn nauseous every time she had to be around him. She hated being alone with him, too. She could feel his gaze on her every time she moved, so she started taking up more and more extracirricular activities at school. But then her mother had an emergency appendix surgery and Sharyn was forced to stay home.

She sighed. It was cold outside. She should have brought a jacket. As it was, she still didn't even know where she was going to go. Her father was somewhere in Shreveport, Louisiana, miles upon miles away from her mother's little ranch in Des Moines, Iowa. He was there with his wife, a big chested blonde named Jillian Hall, who had a huge distaste for Sharyn. Sharyn would never forget the way she stared at her, like she didn't belong. Her father was in the honeymoon phase at that point, which meant he would have thrown Sharyn off of a bridge if it meant Jillian would have been happy. The thought made her sick.

Tonight had been especially terrible. Her mother and Gene had started fighting and he had belted around her mother something fierce. She still shuddered in fear as she recalled his footsteps reverberating down the halls. That's when Sharyn knew she had to get the hell out of there. She had packed a bag a long time ago, and had just waited for the right time to use it. Grabbing it and nothing else, she climbed out the window and ran off into the night, escaping through the back gates and making her way along the dirt road.

Sharyn laughed bitterly to herself as she continued to walk, readjusting her backpack and crossing her arms over her chest. She had never once complained about the cards she had been dealt, but at the moment she felt as though she were entitled to something. But she kept her jaw clenched shut and continued to walk, hoping to God that Gene hadn't jumped into his pickup truck and gone looking for her. She hadn't even bothered to leave a note. She just wanted out.

She wanted a cigarette. Bad. She had quit a couple years ago when her mother had found out and started borrowing smoke after smoke off of her. She wasn't working part time and going to school full time to support her mother's habit, so she quit. Cold turkey. And every now and then she'd get a huge craving. She'd pray for some kind of relief, a cigarette, but she had done so well with so little help. She sighed; at the moment, she would have at least settled for a jacket as the rain began to fall.

Cody Rhodes groaned as he heard the clap of thunder outside of his car. "Great," he mumbled. "Just what I need." His car wasn't in good shape as it was and he knew any minute the rain would start and the backseat would be flooded with rain water.

He had busted his ass at work all summer for the car; he had bought it off his best friend Ted DiBiase. At the moment, he couldn't figure out why, but he knew that everyone who ever owned a car at least owned one real beater in their time. This was his; a rusted red Toyota with everything more or less broken, repaired with duct tape or just not working at all.

His father was a wrestler. Back in the days when it was all territories. Before the Big Bad Wolf known as Vince McMahon came along and monopolized the sport. Not that Cody or his father had issues with that; after all, Cody's father was a Hall of Famer. And at the moment, Cody was toiling away in the independents hoping to make a name for himself before looking to the big leagues. He had a show in Louisiana in three days, in Baton Rouge, at some little arts center where hundreds of high school children and parents who couldn't afford tickets to WWE brought their kids. The name Cody Rhodes was an attraction; all they had to do was say he was the son of Dusty. He wasn't enthused about having to use his father's name; he was different than his father in a lot of ways; however, the name recognition at least brought people to see him.

He spotted her down the road, the headlights flooding her with light. She wasn't turning around. His lips pursed into a thin line. It was pouring rain out there and she was walking down the roads in nothing but a T-shirt and jeans. He noticed the backpack and the idea of her being a runaway flashed through his mind. He wondered if she was stupid to be out by herself so late at night.

The car pulled to a stop beside her, but she kept walking. There was something about her demeanor, and her walk that told him that it was probably for the best that she took off from wherever she had been. He killed the ignition and climbed out of the car. "Hey!" he called out. She ignored him, just continuing to walk down the side of the road. "Hey! Stop for a second, will you?" He ran after her and made his way in front of her, stopping her.

She stared at him. Her eyes were vacant. It concerned him. "Hey – are you okay? Look, can I at least give you a ride to wherever you need to go? I'd hate to leave you out in the rain like this." She still didn't speak. "Can you talk at all?" he asked. He could see something in her eyes...it looked like tears, but he couldn't quite tell in the rain. "Come on...can we at least get you out of the rain? I promise I'm not going to hurt you." She stared at him wearily for what seemed like an eternity, although Cody was sure it was only a minute or two.

"Scout's honor?"

"Scout's honor," he assured her, relieved that she had spoken. "Can I at least get your name?" he asked as he led her back towards her car. She sighed.

"Sharyn."

"Hi, Sharyn. I'm Cody. Where are you going in this weather?"

"I don't know. Away." He pursed his lips in a thin line.

"Do you have anywhere to go, Sharyn?"

"Look, just let me keep going, okay?" She shook her head. "You can't help me anyway." She turned on her heels and began to walk away again, readjusting her backpack. Cody sighed. The car was idling, and he knew that he couldn't leave her on her own in the middle of the night, in the backroads in the middle of nowhere. He sighed and jogged over to her, stopping her.

"Look, I can't in good conscience leave you here, okay? I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to you and I had the opportunity to keep you safe." She stared over at his car in distaste.

"You call that tin deathtrap safe?" She stared at his face for any expression of offense, but was surprised when he flashed her a smile and a bit of a chuckle.

"It's safer than walking this late in the middle of a rainstorm without a jacket," he informed her. "Please, Sharyn. Is there any family around I can at least drop you off to? I'm heading to Louisiana...if you have family on the way, I could at least take you there."

"I couldn't do that," she replied, shaking her head. "Fuck, I need a smoke." She sighed. She was starting to get a headache. She ran a hand through her wet hair.

"Please...you're going to get sick out here. Do you have any family on the way to Louisiana?" She nodded. "Come on, then. Get in the car and I'll take you there. I'd feel better knowing you got there safe."

"Please, just let me go on my way, okay?"

"You don't even know where you're going!"

"Look, I appreciate your concern, but please...in case you haven't noticed, it's raining, and I have somewhere I need to be."

"And where's that? Enlighten me."

"Fuck off." It was inaudible to him, but she tried walking away. He sighed; this was not going well at all. Were women usually this difficult?

"Sharyn, please. Let me take you where you need to go."

"I can't take advantage of you like that, okay?" Sharyn couldn't take advantage of his kindness. Anyways, she didn't even know this guy. Something in his eyes said that he was sincere. But she didn't want to trust him. There were a lot of good-looking, innocent-looking kids around town that had leered at her like she was a prized pig in a meat shop. She didn't have much money, either, and taking advantage of Cody, despite her desire to make the people around her suffer, was just something she couldn't do.

"It's not taking advantage. Think of it as helping a friend, okay?" Cody could still see his car, but he was getting further and further away. "Please."

She stopped. "What do you want from me? Seriously?"

"Look, Sharyn, I don't know where you came from...but something tells me you can't go back there. And I'd worry about you if I just left you out here and went on my way..."

"I'm not here to soothe your conscience, Cody," she said, her tone icy. He shook his head. Why did he keep feeling like things were getting worse?

"I didn't mean it like that," he said. His voice was strained; he was starting to get irritated. But Sharyn was starting to think he wouldn't leave her alone unless she got into the car with him. She sighed. "Please. I do have good intentions here. I swear." She still eyed him warily, but she made her way over to him.

"I don't have much, but I'll help you..."

"Don't worry about it," he told her, dismissing it with a wave as she tried to take off her backpack. "Let's just get you in the car. You're going to catch your death out here." She nodded and he resisted the urge to put an arm around her shoulder and just followed her to the car.

There were lights coming up the road as Sharyn climbed in. She felt her heart leap into her throat when she noticed the pickup truck pull up behind the car. Cody moved around to the driver's side as Gene Snitsky made his way over. Sharyn slid further down into the seat, hoping that he wouldn't be able to see her.

"Car trouble, boy?" he asked. Cody shrugged.

"I thought I saw a cat on the road and I swerved to avoid it. That's about all." Cody wasn't catching the best vibes off of the man standing before him. The man's teeth were so yellow they gleamed in the moonlight.

"I'm looking for my daughter. Have you seen her?"

"What does she look like?" Cody asked. He smiled, a sleazy smile that made Cody feel sick to his stomach.

"Real beautiful thing. Black hair, green eyes, porcelain skin. Anyways, she ran away from home. Her mother's dead worried about her, and I'm trying to track her down. We've been having problems with this girl for awhile now. She runs away all the time, sleeps around with random men, and she doesn't do too well in school. Her mother's at her wit's end trying to keep her under control. Did you happen to come across her by any chance?"

"I don't recall," Cody replied. "I can keep an eye out for you if you'd like though. But I'm on my way out of state." The man nodded and extended his hand. Cody didn't really want to shake hands with the man, but his father raised him to always respect his elders.

"Gene Snitsky."

"Cody Rhodes."

"Look, I'll give you my cell number. If you see her...please call me. Her mother is at her wit's end." Cody nodded.

"Will do, sir." Gene climbed into his truck and Cody made his way back towards the car as Gene started the truck and sped ahead down the road. Cody climbed into the car and noticed Sharyn more or less compacted towards the floor of the passenger's side. He wanted to ask her about what the man – who he assumed was her father – was true, but knew better than to ask while they were immobile. Wordlessly, he started the car and drove down the road. Sharyn wasn't sure what was going on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

Sharyn was wordless as Cody drove along the rainy backroads, anxious to get the hell out of town. There was something about Gene Snitsky that didn't sit right with him at all, and judging by the looks of Sharyn, she had left a situation that wasn't healthy. Cody fumbled around with the radio, finding something with country, a news station, a top forty station, before resting on a rock station. He was a country boy, but Sharyn looked like a rock fan, and she probably needed something to settle her nerves since he couldn't offer her cigarettes.

"You're pretty quiet. Anything you want to say about that guy back there?"

"No." Her words were definitive, her gaze never leaving the window. Cody nodded. _Fair enough_, he thought. Some terrible Nickelback song was on the radio. Sharyn sighed in what Cody construed was frustration. "Can we shut this shit off? I've got a bit of a headache." Cody nodded.

"I'm a country boy myself," he murmured, shutting the radio off. They drove in silence. Sharyn was soaked to the bone, visibly shivering from the chill that had settled in. Cody felt terrible for her. He was glad that he had found her when he had. Something about that man wasn't sitting right...and he hated to imagine what would have happened had she put up resistance in this weather.

Now that the chaos had died down, Cody had the chance to admire her as she rested her head against the glass. She was a beautiful girl. Gene hadn't been lying about that; even looking like a drowned rat, she was still beautiful. But she was tense. He could see it; she was wound up tighter than a stopwatch. It told him that despite everything, she still wasn't convinced that her troubles were over. That they were just beginning. He wished that he knew where she was going. He wished that he knew something about her other than the fact that she was a runaway and that he was breaking some laws taking her away. But his conscience told him that he couldn't leave her to walk the streets alone...especially if she didn't know where she was going.

"So what are you going to Louisiana for?" she asked, her voice shattering the thick silence between the two of them. Cody smiled in relief. At least she was going to talk.

"I'm a wrestler, and I have a show out in Baton Rouge. Do you ever watch wrestling?"

"I used to, when I was a kid. Back when there were guys like Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes. I was a huge Dusty fan; the man was a captivating speaker, and he just seemed so fun...I haven't really watched it in the last decade or so, though." She smiled. "My dad was a fan of the Undertaker." She smiled. "You must be a fan, too," she said, "if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life. Who were your favorites?"

"My dad, for one." She thought about it. She remembered hearing his last name was Rhodes when he talked to Gene. It dawned on her.

"Rhodes...your father is Dusty, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he replied. A wide smile crossed his features. "You're pretty perceptive."

"I guess this is kind of in your blood, huh?" Cody nodded. "So why aren't you in the big leagues yet? I mean, isn't McMahon big on having second and third generation athletes?"

"He is, and there was an offer for me, but I wanted to do the independent scene first, get some experience and then go in and start a career." Sharyn smiled, but her tone was kind of bitter.

"It must be nice having a direction in life." Cody cocked an eyebrow. Her tone wasn't lost on him.

"How old are you, Sharyn?"

"Nineteen."

"You still have your whole life ahead of you to know what you want to do," he said. "I'll bet you're a smart woman."

"Not smart enough, evidently," she replied, turning her gaze out the window. _Otherwise I would have been long gone years ago._ Cody wanted her to elaborate, but knew now was not the time to ask. She was clearly not ready to divulge any important information with him. He'd talk to her tomorrow.

The rain wasn't easing up, and the windshield wipers didn't seem to do anything against the rain. He wondered if Sharyn was worried about not being able to see two feet in front of them, but if she was, she wasn't saying anything. Cody was thinking about pulling up to a hotel for the night. He had been working all summer; saving money for this trip, saving money for the car. This trip was the huge for him; he was on the main event card in Louisiana; from there, he'd just work on honing his craft before springboarding into WWE. He was starting to get excited. Everything was starting to come together.

He looked over at Sharyn. Her eyes were closed, but something told him she wasn't asleep. He wished he could give her something to be excited about. He bit his lower lip; she was going to get sick if he didn't get her somewhere dry, where she had the chance to get into some dry clothing. _Walking alone in the middle of the night, in a rainstorm with no jacket. What is she thinking? _He was still thinking about the stuff that the man had said to him before he had left. He didn't want to believe the things he had said about Sharyn; she seemed too vulnerable and too calloused to be a typical wayward teenager. What he had said about her didn't sit right with Cody, and his instincts never failed him.

He turned on the radio, turning it to a country station. An electric fiddle filled the car softly, and Cody felt an odd sense of comfort driving along the roads, listening to music. His father was going to call him in the morning and see how far he had gotten and make sure everything was all right. It was only after seven; he figured he still had a good three hours to keep driving before he decided to call it a night.

As the night crept up on Cody, he realized that Sharyn had actually fallen asleep, her breathing slow and even, her hair falling around her, blocking her face. He could see a patch of skin that was her jawline and saw it was tensed. _Even in sleep the woman can't find any peace, _he thought, shaking his head sadly. He wasn't sure about how he was going to help her, but he knew in that instant he was a bleeding heart. There was a good chance that anybody could have just driven past her without a second thought or a glance back. But he knew he would have never been able to just leave her behind.

He thought about the trip, about how far it was, but how much it meant to him to be featured prominently as a main eventer on the card. He was taking on his good friend Ted DiBiase, the son of Ted DiBiase, Sr., who had found great success under Vince as the "Million Dollar Man". Both Dusty and Ted were proud of their sons, and more than supportive of them pursuing a career in wrestling, with the condition that they graduated high school first. Cody was more than happy to graduate if it meant he could pursue his dreams with his family's approval.

Sharyn Halliday. She fascinated him. Just what was he going to do with her? How could he keep her safe? And was there any chance that Snitsky was going to be able to find her and bring her back to conditions he was sure were less than stellar? He couldn't expect her to open up to him right away; he was well aware of that. After all, she barely knew him. It had been a fight getting her into the car. He was pretty certain that she thought he was some crazy kidnapper or molester. But Snitsky pulling up in his truck had changed everything. If she was willing to put aside her reluctance and climb into the car with a man she didn't know, then he knew the man was bad news. She seemed like a strong-willed woman who didn't run away or get into cars with strangers often. And he wanted her to trust him. Judging by her demeanor, she needed somebody that she could trust.

When he was out of the state, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. The more distance he put between himself and that man, the better. Everything about him had just made Cody uneasy; the yellow teeth, the sleazy smile. The thought of even leaving Sharyn alone with the man made him sick. The strange thing was that Sharyn didn't seem to be afraid of Cody. In her state though, she didn't seem to fear much. He wondered for a second if she was in shock. All he knew was that she couldn't go back. And he'd do anything to ensure that she didn't have to.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

Sharyn emerged from the bathroom, dressed in one of Cody's old black T-shirts and a pair of boxer shorts, drying her hair vigorously with a white towel. She was pretty grateful that Cody had offered to lend her something to wear to sleep. When they had arrived at the hotel, she had realized everything in her bag had become soaked as a result of the rainstorm that had started. Cody in a split second with no questions asked had lent her clothing to wear while he spread her clothing out on a nearby heater to dry. She had been so embarassed to accept his help, but he had been more than okay with it.

Her face darkened when she realized Cody wasn't in the room. Her mind was still racing with thoughts as she hung the towel over a chair. She couldn't believe Gene had said what he had said about her to Cody. She wondered where Cody could have gone; she hoped everything was okay. She couldn't help but feel like Cody wanted something in return, yet she was catching vibes that said otherwise about him. He really seemed to just want to help her out. But there was a voice in the back of her mind telling her that this was dangerous territory, and she had to be careful. She was traveling out of state with a man she didn't even know, sharing a hotel room with him. Granted, there were two beds, but it still made her a touch uncomfortable.

The door opened as she sat down on the bed and Cody came in with a fast food bag and two cups of soda. She looked at him and he flashed her a comforting smile. "I didn't know what you liked, so I just guessed," he told her, placing everything down on the nightstand between the two beds.

"You don't have to do all this, Cody," she said softly as he reached into the bag and pulled out two burgers. She went towards her backpack, but Cody grabbed her wrist and made her sit down.

"Eat," he said. She nodded and he handed her some fries and she pulled a cup of Coke out of the tray. "I'm not going to ask you to tell me anything about what happened tonight, but eventually, you know I'm going to need to know." Sharyn didn't say anything, only unwrapped the burger wrapper and took a bite.

"Thank you for everything," she murmured, taking a sip of Coke. She stared out the window above the nightstand. "I don't think anybody's ever been so nice to me." The rain was still coming down outside; the cars driving by greeting them with the familiar sounds of tires driving through the rain. She wasn't even really sure where they were. Cody had awakened her when he had pulled into the hotel parking lot. It was a nice little place; but had a bit of a Bates motel vibe. It was all one floor, with sixteen rooms. They were in cabin four, a quaint room with two single beds. It was a cheap hotel; a place that Cody's half-brother Dustin had recommended to him before he went out on the road to travel. He knew to take Dustin's advice; after all, he had been through multiple hotels over the years. Cody didn't know what to say to her comment, so they ate in silence for a few minutes. She was sitting cross legged on the bed, eating in silence, staring down at the floor. He couldn't help but wonder why she wouldn't make eye contact with him, or talk to him.

"Must be a hell of a spot there."

"What?" She looked up.

"You keep staring at the floor." She blushed. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

She shook her head. "Not really. It's been a long night." He nodded. If he felt tired about driving, he could only imagine how she must have been feeling regarding whatever had happened to her that night.

"Do you have anybody that you need to call?" he asked. "To let them know where you are?" She shook her head. "Do you think you should call your mom, at least?" She shook her head. "Can I at least ask who the hell that guy was who was looking for you?"

She sighed. "It's my mother's boyfriend." She shook her head. "Don't ask me what she sees in the disgusting son of a bitch." Cody chuckled.

"Don't hold back; tell me how you really feel," he said and she blushed, giggling slightly. She shook her head and took another bite of her burger, washing it down with a sip of cola. "How long's he been with your mother?"

"I think around a year and a half. There's a lot of them that come and go, but he's been the longest relationship she's had in a while." She didn't know why she was saying so much to him. But the look in his eyes wasn't judgmental; they were sympathetic, and she could see he wasn't going to think any differently of her.

"Your mom dates a lot?" Sharyn nods.

"She's scared to die alone, I guess," she said. "So she'll latch onto anybody who can promise to be with her forever. Then things don't work out; we move, we fight, there's another four or five guys, and that's the way it goes."

"It doesn't sound like it bothers you all that much."

"Truthfully, it used to. But after a certain period of time, you realize that that's it. There's nothing you can do about the situation, so getting all upset about it doesn't seem to make any sense, you know?" He nodded. She took a sip.

"It's bothered you enough to run away, though," Cody told her. He could see her clench up in front of him. "What happened to your dad, if you don't mind me asking?"

She sighed. "He's in Baton Rouge somewhere. My mom dropped him like a bad habit when she got pregnant with me. I don't know why. She said he was a deadbeat. I think it was a little bit more than that."

"You sure he's in Baton Rouge?"

"Of course I'm not sure," she snapped, shaking her head. "But what alternative do you think is better? Staying behind with that...monster?" Cody hated to admit it; but she definitely had a point.

"Look, it's getting late," he said. "Why don't we get some sleep? We have to be up early in the morning to get back on the road." She sighed and placed her soda on the nightstand, finishing the last bite of her burger. Cody had finished his minutes ago. She nodded.

"I could use some sleep," she confessed, "It's been a long day." He nodded sympathetically and shut out the light, settling into his bed. Sharyn was relieved that he hadn't said anything about sleeping with him and curled up under the blankets. Cody was asleep in minutes; Sharyn only stayed awake and wondered just how Cody could be so helpful to somebody he didn't even know. She wasn't sure what she had done to deserve his kindness, but the fact that he was being so kind to her made her thankful. Rolling onto her other side, she closed her eyes and tried to get some kind of sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

When Cody awoke the following morning, he was surprised to find that Sharyn wasn't in her bed. He didn't hear the water running or see any other indication that Sharyn was really in the room; he found himself laying in silence. Sitting up quickly, he rushed out of the bed and went to the window, pulling back the curtains and shielding his eyes from the pale, yet blinding sunlight. His car was still there; that was a good sign. At least he knew she hadn't stolen the car and taken off. Another thought hit him. _Man, I hope she didn't try to make it on foot_, Cody thought. He told her he would take her there, and he meant it. Shaking his head, he went to gather his slippers and his keys before bolting out of the door. The air was crisp; autumn like as he made his way towards the front desk. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Sharyn emerge, a cigarette and a lighter in either hand. He stopped dead in his tracks; she did the same.

"Where were you?" he asked, taking a breath of relief. He had been worried for a second.

"I know I haven't smoked for months, but fuck, I need one right now." Cody shook his head and took the cigarette out of her hand. "Come on!" she whined. Cody shook his head.

"This stuff will kill you. Didn't you learn anything in school?" With a twitch of his fingers, he snapped the cigarette in two and threw it to the ground just off of the platform. Sharyn's face darkened and Cody's remained in a relieved smile, still thankful that she hadn't stolen his car and taken off. "Look, Sharyn, I know you're under a lot of stress...but you've obviously done a hell of a job with quitting. The last thing you need is to fall back into that. As long as you're with me, I'm not going to let you start smoking again, all right?" She sighed; he was right. "Come on. We'll go out for breakfast; then we'll hit the road, all right?" She nodded, her eyes shifting to the cigarette that lay in pieces on the ground. He smiled. "You had me worried. I thought you ran off." She looked agitated.

"I guess I should be answering to you now," she muttered. Cody sighed.

"No,that's not it," he told her with a shake of his head. "I mean, it's not like we really know each other. I just...look, if I'm taking you halfway across the country and whatnot, I just want to keep you safe, all right?" She nodded. Cody realized his words and his actions weren't coming off too well. _For a man who lives his life from sunrise-sunset, you sure aren't a morning person, Rhodes_, he thought to himself, watching Sharyn's sheepish expression. With a sigh she took a step ahead of him and went back to the hotel room. Cody wasn't far behind.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to make you think I ran off. It's just...I feel like I'm going to be followed. It's stressing me out, and I needed a smoke."

"How did you quit smoking in the first place?" Cody asked her. She shrugged.

"I got sick of my mom borrowing smokes off of me all the time, so I just quit. Cold turkey."

"Cold turkey? That's impressive. All the more reason to keep you off of that stuff," he said as she went to her backpack. She pulled out some clothing and grabbed her jeans that were drying on the heater. She disappeared into the bathroom while Cody got changed in the room. Sliding a black T-shirt on over his head when the bathroom door opened, Sharyn emerged, dressed in a white tank top and blue jeans. She flashed a smile at Cody while she went to her bag and dug through it for a brush. She pulled out a tiny brush and began to brush through her hair, yanking roughly and wincing when the brush connected with her knots. Cody went into the bathroom to run some water through it and style it. He couldn't wait to get back on the road. He didn't want to admit it to Sharyn; but she wasn't alone in her feeling of being followed. There was something about that Snitsky character that really made him feel uneasy. He stared into the mirror and shook his head. _You're being paranoid, Rhodes_, he thought to himself. _How in the hell would he know where to find us?_ Seemingly satisfied at the logic, Cody made his way out of the bathroom. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," she said, zipping up her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. "Cody...I am sorry about freaking you out."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm just a little sketchy in the mornings." She nodded and he grabbed his key to take to the front desk. He went into his jeans pocket for his keys and handed them to Sharyn. "If you want to wait in the car, I'm just going to run this to the front desk." She nodded and made her way towards the car. She unlocked the door and climbed in, resting her head against the seat. He was being way too nice to her.

She was surprised that he thought she would run off. But she remembered how she had been the night that they met. Cody didn't really have a lot of reason to trust her; he didn't really know her. This was going to be an awkward trip, but she knew Cody was right. Eventually, she was going to need to open up to him more. There was just no two ways about it. She saw him emerge from the front desk office and he flashed her a reassuring smile as he made his way towards the car. She smiled back.

"Is this the farthest you've ever been in your travels?" he asked her. They were sitting in a Denny's, eating breakfast. She was picking at her food; she was too tense to relax around Cody. He could pick up on it. She was looking out the window of the booth, watching the world go by. She stared at him and nodded.

"Yeah. My family's never been much for vacations," she replied.

"You ever thought about traveling?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Of course." A smile crossed her face. "I've always wanted to travel to Spain. I've seen pictures and read about it...it just seems so beautiful." He smiled; it wasn't much information, but it was definitely a start. "I wouldn't mind doing the backpacking thing through Europe, either," she replied. "Kind of revel in the experience, you know? See some of the World War II monuments, visit the landmark churches." He nodded. She was surprised; he actually seemed interested in what she was saying. She sipped her orange juice. "How about you? I mean, you must be into traveling if you're looking at wrestling for a profession."

He smiled. "Yeah, I guess the travel is a nice bonus. I just like the idea of performing. I guess it runs in the family."

"Your brother wrestles, doesn't he?"

"My half-brother Dustin wrestles. He's a bit of an oddball, but he's still pretty cool. Our dad taught us everything about the business; what to look for, how to manage things like finances and the nightlife. He's seen it all and done it all, and he's even survived a few wild nights with Ric Flair, so I have no reason not to listen." He chuckled as he sipped on his coffee.

"So what do you think you'd be doing if you weren't wrestling?" she asked. Cody stopped and thought about it a second. He sipped his coffee again and put the mug back down on the table.

"Truthfully...I'm not too sure. I mean, when your dad is 'The American Dream', it's practically in your blood that you're going to do this," he told her. "I guess the short answer would be I have no idea." She smirked. "What about you, Sharyn? What have you always wanted to do?"

She smirked and took a bite of her breakfast. "God, I have no idea," she confessed. "I'm one of those people where it changes every fifteen to twenty minutes." Cody smiled at her. "You must think I'm a total tool."

"Nah. Not at all. It's normal. What do you like to do?"

She shrugged. "I like to read. Write. My grandmother, God rest her soul, always wanted me to be a journalist." Cody cocked an impressed eyebrow.

"So why not go into that?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "I guess it's because I'm not half as good as people seem to make me out to be."

"I doubt that," Cody replied. "One of these days, you're going to have to let me read something you wrote." Sharyn stared at him oddly. For her to do that, it would mean that they would have to remain in contact after he had dropped her off at her father's. Did he mean it? Or was he just trying to be nice? The look on his face told her that he was sincere, but she couldn't be sure. The men she had been associated with in her life always held that look of sincerity, but they were always the first to hurt her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

They were on the road well before noon; the sun trapped behind the steely clouds on the horizon, the sky a grayish white color that hurt their eyes. The weather forecast hadn't specifically called for rain, but had announced that the day would be overcast. A rainstorm was possible for the evening and for that Cody was thankful. At least they'd be inside a hotel at night, not worrying about the back of the car flooding out or being unable to see two feet in front of him. Cody and Sharyn were driving along the empty back roads, still two days away from the show. He stole a glance over at Sharyn; she always looked so serious. He wondered just what it would take to keep a smile on her face. It made him appreciate the times she had smiled in the short time that he had been acquainted with her. He wished there was something he could do to take her mind off of things, to at least lighten her moods a little bit. But he was certain she was one of those people who lived in a constant state of anxiety; he was sure that she wouldn't know what to do with herself if she wasn't stressed out. Peace of mind was something that she just didn't know.

"You ever smile?" he asked. She smirked.

"Subtle."

"I'm just curious. I don't really think I've seen you smile since I met you," he told her, keeping his eyes ahead on the road. He started to fumble around with the radio station, resting on a country station. "Being so stressed out isn't good for your health, you know."

"Neither is smoking."

"Yeah, but you quit that."

"It's a bit different, Cody. You can't just quit being stressed out. It's not that simple," she replied, her gaze going out the window at the world that was passing her by. She didn't really know what else to say. She would have loved to remember what it was like to not be stressed out, just to be happy. But as the time wore on, she never found her peace of mind; just more to be stressed about.

"Do you have any siblings, Sharyn?"

She shook her head. "Not unless my dad and his trophy wife had a child. I doubt it, though. My mom said she's the type of woman who worries that having a kid will kill her figure." Cody chuckled; he knew a few girls like that back home.

"Your mom never had any more kids?" Cody asked, surprised. From what he had inferred about her mother, he was amazed there wasn't a litter of kids running around. Sharyn shook her head.

"She had a difficult birth with me. She wound up getting a hysterectomy afterwards because of all the bleeding or something. I can't really remember what she told me about it, but I know that she had a hysterectomy after me. So she can't have any more kids."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he told her sincerely. She shrugged.

"It doesn't seem to bother Mom much," she confessed, "and if it did, she sure wouldn't let me know about it." The bitterness resonated from her voice.

"Have you ever met your father, Sharyn?" She shook her head.

"No. My mom left him when she got pregnant with me. She told me he was a real deadbeat. A running the streets, not quite ready to be a man kind of thing. She's always been pretty against me meeting him." Cody couldn't understand the logic behind a woman withholding a man from his child, and vice versa.

"How do you know he has a trophy wife?" Cody inquired.

"My mom kept the wedding announcement, and she'd tell me things here and there," Sharyn replied. "It was just in case I wanted to see what he looked like."

"In case you wanted to find him?" She shook her head.

"She told me since he's never come looking for me, what would make me think he wants me all of a sudden?" she said. "I still haven't forgotten that; she said it to me when I was thirteen. I guess she has a point, but I'll find out when I get there." Cody was disgusted; what kind of parent would tell their child that their other parent didn't want them?

"I think that unless you have his side of the story, you'll never really know if she's telling the truth." Sharyn nodded and smiled.

"I know." She turned her gaze out the window. "I like talking to you, Cody. You don't make me feel judged."

"I've been told I make people feel like that," he said, flashing her a reassuring smile. They fell into a comfortable silence for what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality only a few minutes. "I'm actually glad that I have some company on this trip, Sharyn."

She scoffed. "Please. Like you're so happy to be riding with an angst ridden nineteen year-old." Cody smirked; the girl sure had a spark of wit to her. It was starting to show more and more the further and farther they got away from the situation.

"That couldn't be further from the truth. I'm very happy to have the company of a beautiful lady on a three day trip."

She was touched; she had never really heard a guy refer to her as beautiful before. And if anybody had ever thought that, she never would have known. She never paid attention to the men around her, except for the ones who made her paranoid. She blanked her expression, but Cody already knew that she was flattered by his statement. A man would have to be blind to think she was ugly. Porcelain skin, raven hair and emerald eyes, she was like a Gothic Princess. He wasn't about to tell her that, though. "And when I tell my friend Ted I scored the company, he is going to be so jealous."

"Who is he traveling with?"

"He's flying out with two friends who are total stoners. Brian Kendrick and Paul London."

"Do you smoke pot?" she asked, point blank. Cody shook his head.

"No. I tried it once when I was fifteen, but I didn't like it. Plus, my daddy sure gave me hell." He smiled at the memory. "I have more reasons not to touch than I have to do it. How about you? Were cigarettes your gateway to the ganja?"

She laughed. "No. Believe it or not, outside of the smoking, I'm surprisingly straight edge."

"So why did you start smoking then?"

"Stress. The reason why so many people seem to start doing it. You're stressed out one day, you need something for relief, it's in your mom's nightstand...next thing you know you're puffing away." She fumbled with the radio station and was surprised Cody didn't object. She settled on a station playing Linkin Park's "In The End". She rested her head against the passenger's seat. Cody's heart went out to her. She seemed so confused about so much, and as an outsider in a situation that was less than ideal for her, there was no real way to help her. He knew he was becoming attached to Sharyn at an alarmingly fast pace. She needed a friend; she needed somebody to confide and talk to you. In the last day, he had not heard her talk about her friends, let alone anybody outside of her mother and her boyfriend. This was the most she had spoken of other things, and he was surprised that she was being so candid. But he was glad she was opening up to him; he could see her demeanor with each piece of heavy information that she was getting off of her chest.

"I haven't heard this song in years," Cody told her. The song brought back a lot of memories of his high school years. Sharyn nodded.

"Same here. It's not my favorite song by these guys, but it has its appeal."

"What's your favorite?"

"'The Forgotten'. Have you heard it?" Cody shook his head.

"I catch a few top forty songs here and there," Cody replied, "but I'm a country boy. I'm not a big fan of that metal stuff."

"Metal stuff?"

"Yeah, you know...where all they do is scream and growl."

"I think it's great. That stuff has a lot of angst, a lot of emotion," she replied. "I seem to relate to it more than the whole 'I lost my wife and my dog and my pickup truck'..."

"That's a cheap shot," Cody laughed.

"Am I really wrong about that?"

"That's not the point," he said, laughing. She smiled. "It doesn't surprise me that you listen to that kind of stuff."

"Because I'm so angsty or because I look like a goth?"

"Is that on purpose?"

"No. Believe it or not, I've never dyed my hair. This is just kind of the way I am." Cody smirked. "I think the worst I've done was I tipped my hair purple in the eighth grade."

"I did something like that," Cody replied. Sharyn laughed.

"You?"

"My friends dared me to do it. It was right before grad. My parents had a nervous breakdown about it because they wanted me to look 'normal' for graduation. I tipped it blue. When they took my picture for grad...I don't know how, but they came out purple in the picture. My friends razzed my ass about it for months afterwards." She laughed.

"You don't strike me as the kind of person who would cave in to peer pressure," she replied. Cody shrugged.

"I figured I needed to do something stupid and get it out of my system," he replied. "Anyways, like I told my mom, it's not like I came home with a knocked up girlfriend. It was hair dye, for crying out loud."

"So what were you like in high school?" she asked. He thought about it for a second.

"I was a jock, but I had friends everywhere too. With the stoners, with the drama students, the mathletes, you know, that kind of thing. Everyone found it hard to hate me." She nodded; she definitely agreed with that sentiment. "How about you, Sharyn? What were you like?"

"I was the goody good," she scoffed. "Anything to keep me away from home, I was part of it. Especially when Mom started dating Gene."

"He really creeps you out, doesn't he?"

"You have no idea. Just the way the pig leers at me. And the yellow teeth and the thinning hair..." She visibly shuddered and Cody chuckled. "I always hated having to be alone with him. I always thought he was going to try something." Cody felt a chill run up his spine; he had the same thoughts about Gene when he had met him, and he hated for a second that he would have even considered trying something on Sharyn.

"We have a few hours before we have to call it in for the night," Cody replied, "And we're a little ahead of schedule. I think I saw a place a few miles back. You up for lunch?"

She flashed him a smile. "Sure." He returned her smile with one of his own before pulling off on the side of the road and driving back towards the restaurant.


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

Gene stood in front of the unmade, disheveled bed, packing his clothing into a khaki duffel bag that was stretched open before him. It had taken a lot of prodding and physicality earlier on in the night, but he had finally gotten it out of his girlfriend that Sharyn was in all likelihood heading towards Louisiana to find her father. How she knew her father was in Louisiana was beyond the two of them, as Sharyn's mother Sherri had never told Sharyn where her father was located. It had surprised Sherri, however, as Sharyn had grown up never asking questions about her father. The household more or less treated him as though he never existed.

Gene was surprised it had taken Sharyn so long to run away; Sherri had always been so dependent on her daughter, to the point where it seemed like Sherri couldn't function without knowing that her daughter was close by. Something had to give eventually; Sharyn was too young to be tied down to a dependent mother, who drank excessively and tried a new drug each week to see if she could feel something different than the angst that had ravaged her over the years. Sherri had more or less accepted a while ago that Sharyn didn't want to be around the house anymore, and knew that Sharyn was working so hard to distance herself from her mother's circle of associates and her lifestyle choices, but he was pretty sure that Sherri never thought in a million years that Sharyn would just pack it up and leave. Sherri felt helpless at the absence of her daughter, and since Sharyn was nineteen, if she wanted to leave, there was nothing Sherri or Gene could do to pull her back home and resume the lifestyle Sherri had become so familiar with and dependent on. The truth was, he had other ideas in mind. He planned on getting his hands on Sharyn if it killed him in the process. She had been tempting him and teasing him for the last year and a half and while he was out in Louisiana, he planned on getting himself a piece.

He had been having suspicions about that Cody Rhodes kid he had met on the road the night before when he had gone searching for Sharyn. The kid had seemed so damned nervous when he had brought up Sharyn's description. The way his entire body jolted, the way his eyes darted to the car. But he hadn't seen Sharyn anywhere at the time, and he was sure a nice kid like Rhodes wouldn't hide her in a trunk or whatever. He seemed too gentlemanly for that. Unless she had been lying in the backseat. He didn't know; he hadn't even thought to look for her in the car. He had come up upon the kid so quick that he would be surprised if Sharyn even had the time to hide. He had been too busy studying Rhodes' mannerisms at the time. And it wasn't like he could have just asked the guy to look inside of his car; even if he did outweigh the kid by two hundred pounds, he was sure the law would be on Cody's side.

He threw a few pairs of jeans into the bag; he wasn't sure how long he was going to be away for. Despite all the fighting with Sherri, who was now passed out on the couch with an empty bottle in one hand, and the cordless phone on her chest in the hopes of Sharyn calling, he couldn't get an address from her. This time, however, since it had been so many years, he was open to believing that she just didn't know. Because she hadn't heard from him since they had split up. Sherri wouldn't talk much about that time, but Gene had suspected that she had just wanted a child, and had said to hell with the father. But he didn't know. Nor did he care. He had a flight out to Louisiana the following morning and he was going to spend his time looking for Sharyn, in hopes of intercepting her before she made it to her father's and bring her back home. He figured he'd take her back to his hotel for a day or two before bringing her back home to Sherri. They could have a nice vacation together. Gene knew that even if Sherri believed Sharyn, she wasn't going to go anywhere. He was as good as she was going to get, and she had finally come to realize it.

Maybe he wouldn't come back from Louisiana. Maybe he'd just take Sharyn and run away. She'd been teasing him for what seemed like forever, and maybe this was just her way of telling him that she was ready for him. To meet her in Louisiana and run away together, to get away from the dark cloud that hung over Sherri, sucking in the people around her like a black hole, into her cycle of depression and cynicism. Maybe she was offering him a way out, too.

He went into the bathroom and grabbed his brush and a few other toiletries, bringing them back out and dropping them into the duffel bag. Sharyn Halliday was the woman of his dreams; a Gothic Princess of sorts. He had seen pictures of Sherri at Sharyn's age; a dead ringer to her daughter. But Sharyn still had that innocence, was still so full of life, and hadn't aged to the extent that Sherri had. Sharyn still possessed a worldly innocence; he could see it in her eyes. She had yet to become jaded like her mother.

He put a few shirts into his duffel bag and thought about what he was about to do. The flight was going to take a few hours, and then he was going to have to think about how on Earth he was going to find Sharyn. Louisiana was a decent sized state with a lot of people; where did he even begin to look for her and the kid she had shacked up with? He wasn't a stupid man; he knew that she was with someone, and he was pretty sure it was with that Cody kid. He knew when people were lying to him, but he knew better than to start something with the kid.

Zipping the duffel bag shut and dropping it onto the floor, he climbed into bed and under the blankets. He would leave Sherri on the couch for the night. She was dead to the world anyways. It was ten-thirty; his flight left at seven, and he had to be at the airport at four for the baggage screenings and other protocols. From there, he had a picture of Sharyn he could take around and see if anyone recognized her. He wasn't even sure he knew where to start, but he was most definitely going to devise a strategy on the plane.


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

"So what kind of match are you having?" Sharyn asked. The two of them were in their hotel room for the night; Cody had already showered and changed into his pajamas; at the moment, he was running a flat white towel through his freshly washed hair. He looked up at her as his hands moved the linen feverishly through his dark hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, is it a singles match, a tag team, or any other stipulations?" He smiled.

"It's an I Quit match," he replied. "My friend Ted is going to WWE, so he's going to lose the match, leave the indies and join the big leagues."

"How long until you follow?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "I just want to have the experience before I go. Be a solid guy so I don't have to spend the rest of my life in developmental hell." She laughed and Cody tossed his towel in a corner of the room. There were no laundry hampers and he didn't want to just leave it on the floor, so he settled for a corner.

"Do you have any way of finding an address for your father?" Cody asked. "I'd feel a lot better dropping you off on his doorstep than just having you kind of fend for yourself."

"I don't; but I'll be all right," she assured him. "I mean, I have his name and whatever, so he won't be that hard to find."

"What's his name?"

"Jake Davidson," she replied. "My mom didn't give me his last name because they had already split by the time I had been born."

"No offense, Sharyn, but your mother has a lot of shit she needs to work through."

"You know, I know it, but she doesn't," Sharyn replied, resting her head against the headboard of her bed. "I spent my teen years trying to help her through everything; try and get her to stop drinking so much, stop smoking pot so much, stop trying any drug under the sun to fit in. I tried to help her, you know, but I can only do so much." She sighed. "You always hurt the ones you love the most because the help they offer you can't be taken unless you want it." Cody smiled sadly and took his place on her bed, enveloping her in a comforting hug. She didn't try to pull away; this time she hugged him back tightly, not letting him go. But the tears weren't coming.

"You're too strong for your own good," he told her softly. He could feel the tension in her muscles from all the stress and heartache she carried with her. He knew a million hugs weren't going to make her feel better, but he knew this was all the comfort he could really offer. "Sometimes you have to let others help."

"It's hard sometimes," she confessed, reveling in the comfort of his firm flesh. "When it's always just me, it's hard to think about letting someone in on things." She sighed and fell silent for a few minutes. She could sense the awkwardness of the moment resonating from Cody. He tried to release the hug, but she held on. It was making her feel better. "I bet you're wishing you didn't stop the car now." She finally pulled herself away and he shook his head.

"Not at all," he assured her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "You're a special girl, Sharyn Halliday. Never forget that." She rested her head against his shoulder. She was sure she could stay resting against him forever, just reveling in the comfort his presence provided.

Cody heard his cell phone ring and he stood to grab his phone from his jacket pocket. Sharyn crossed her legs on the bed and rested her head in her hands as she watched him answer the phone. "Rhodes."

"Hey, bitch, where the fuck you at?" He recognized the voice immediately.

"I'm at where I'm at, DiBiase," Cody retorted with a laugh. "What do you want?"

"Just thought I'd call and check in on Gullible's Travels." Ted still couldn't believe Cody had wanted the death trap he had called his car. He always told Cody he was gullible for buying the thing. "That shit heap break down on you yet? When are you getting in?"

"Probably tomorrow night or the morning after," he told him. "Why? You there already?"

"Me? Fuck no. I'm flying out tomorrow night with London and Kendrick. You know, you could have flown. Probably would have been cheaper than fixing that death trap."

"You sold me that death trap," Cody reminded him. "Anyways, it's held out on me good."

"So, you scored any hot chicks on your travels?" Ted asked. Cody sighed; Ted was a polar opposite to him, enjoying casual sex and whatever other perks came with the occupation of a professional wrestler...well, everything short of hard drugs. Ted liked to party, but he knew when to call it in. Being the kids of legendary wrestlers, they both knew that things were different from their father's age and acted accordingly. Otherwise, t heir fathers would kill them. They always seemed to find out what happened on the road, so Cody just played it on the straight and narrow at all times.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Cody said with a shake of his head and roll of his eyes. Sharyn smiled at him. "Is that why you're calling me? To see if I have some hot little number in my hotel room?" He flashed her a wink and Sharyn felt herself blush. He smirked. "Seriously, DiBiase, is there a point to calling me?"

"Yeah, motherfucker, there is," Ted replied sternly. In all the years that Cody had known Ted, he knew that the language wasn't anything to be offended or hurt by. It was just Ted. "When did you want to meet up at the arena and map shit out?"

"Probably the afternoon on the day of the match. I have an errand to run that morning, but I can meet you in the early afternoon. Is that all right?"

"Sure," Ted said, "But you're supplying lunch. I have to go though. Family dinner. You know how Mom gets when I'm out on the road." Cody nodded; his mother was the same way. "I'll see you at the show. And take it easy with the girlfriend in there."

"I'll take it under advisement," Cody retorted. Before Ted could respond, Cody shut the cellular phone shut and laughed. "What a guy."

"Does he always try to set you up?" Sharyn asked.

"He tries to get me laid. Big difference." Sharyn smirked as Cody got comfortable. "We all kind of call him the, ahem, 'Talent Scout'." Sharyn laughed.

"Is he proud of the reputation?"

"Well, we've never flat out told him it was his rep." Sharyn nodded and they both shared a laugh. "He's a cool guy though. Just enjoys being a bachelor."

"Don't you enjoy it?"

"Yeah, just not half as much as Ted does. I swear, if I wasn't around with a few of the guys sometimes, we don't know how Ted would get home or would still have his teeth." Cody shrugged. "But he's young, and enjoying the perks he gets from being in the business."

"You don't?"

"Not that aspect of things. I'm not into the whole idea of having a groupie in every town. I guess I'm a little old fashioned, but the idea of catching herpes from Suzie in Baltimore just doesn't appeal to me." Sharyn laughed and a smile tugged at Cody's features. "Ted razzes my ass about it all the time, though. Calls me the 'Old Soul' of the group." He looked at her. "Do you think it makes me old fashioned?"

"No. It just means you don't want to be a whore," she replied and he laughed. She was still in her jeans and T-shirt, contemplating about whether or not she was going to take a shower before dinner. Cody had seen the rain coming and had decided to just order in pizza for dinner instead of searching for a diner or something. It didn't bother Sharyn; she was exhausted and she knew all the driving had to be getting to Cody as well. The rain was coming down in torrents outside; both of them were just happy to be out of it and in a warm hotel room with a comfortable bed.

"I'm going to have a shower before dinner," she told him softly, getting off of the bed and gathering some items from her backpack. "If dinner gets here before I get out, there's money in my bag to go halfers." Cody nodded and she disappeared into the bathroom. He sighed; there was no way he was taking money from her. He had worked hard enough to be more than able to afford the trip; with all the double shifts and six day weeks. He wouldn't even ask her how much she had; he didn't need her money. He knew she felt awful that he wouldn't, but as far as he saw it, he was just helping her out and he was more than happy to have the company on the trip.

Their conversations, even in recollection and retrospect, made Cody smile. She wasn't like a lot of the other girls he had met when he had broken into wrestling, all bubbly and cheerful; he was refreshed that Sharyn was complicated, an enigma. He reveled in their conversations because he felt like each piece of information she gave him was huge, even if she didn't acknowledge that. It was a big step for her to talk about extremely personal things with a stranger; and Cody was appreciative of every single word she said to him, because he knew she wasn't one to mix her words. She didn't speak much, but when she did, he knew she meant business.

He heard the water running in the bathroom and he turned on the television. He wondered if he was ever going to hear from her again after they parted ways in the next day or two. The idea of not seeing her again was something that definitely wasn't appealing to Cody at the moment. The truth was that he was enjoying her company. The feeling of leaving her left him uneasy; was it natural to be attached to somebody so quickly?

His cell phone rang again and he answered it. "Rhodes."

"Hey, son, how's the road going?" Cody straightened his posture on the bed and turned down the television.

"Hey, Dad. How's things back at home?"

"Fine, fine. Your mother wanted me to call and make sure things were good. Are they?"

"Yeah, Dad. Everything's good." He contemplated telling his father about what was happening, that he had picked up Sharyn. But he didn't have to. Dusty could sense something was going on in his son's head. It never ceased to amaze him how much his father picked up on. Dusty always told him that he could be read like a book, just by his mannerisms, by the way he spoke, or even just by the expressions on his face. It was close bond that Cody had formed with Dusty; something that surprised everybody considering how much time Dusty had spent apart from his children as a result of life on the road.

"So, what's happening, son?" Dusty's voice cut into Cody's thoughts. "Something's up. I know these things." Cody sighed. _No sense in lying to the old man_, Cody thought to himself. He ran a hand through his damp hair.

"I, uh, met someone, Dad. She's kind of in the shower at the moment." He didn't know why he told his father that and he silently cursed himself for the way it sounded. Dusty whistled low and he instantly knew what his father was thinking. "Dad, it's not like that, all right? I found her on the side of the road, running from a pretty rotten situation. I just wanted to help."

"You picked up a runaway? Is this really a situation you want to put yourself in the middle of?" Dusty didn't like the sound of this; it could only spell trouble for Cody.

"I promise you, Dad; things are fine."

"If things are fine, why am I sensing a problem?"

"Well, it's when I take her to Louisiana in the next day or two...I think she's great; I'd hate to just drop her off and forget she existed."

"Sometimes that's the best thing to do." Cody felt his jaw tense; he definitely didn't like the sound of that. Especially since he still had that sinking, heavy, sneaky feeling that Snitsky was hot on their trails. "You hardly know the girl or her situation, Cody. She's a runaway. What do you know about her that says she's not trouble with a capital T?" Cody knew his father wasn't being a jerk; he had a valid point. How well did he really know Sharyn? And how much trouble was she really in with this Gene Snitsky man that had stopped him on the road?

"All I know," he told his father firmly, "Is that I cant let her go back where she came from. She needs help, Dad, and more importantly, she needs a friend." He heard his father whistle low on the other end of the phone.

"You're a good kid, Cody. But she's not taking you for a ride, is she?"

"No. Far from it."

"So then what's the problem?"

"Nothing, Dad. It's just I'm exhausted and it's a really long and complicated situation that I'll explain when I get home, all right?"

"All right, Codeman. You have a fun time out there. Your mother sends her love."

"Give her a hug for me, Dad."

"I will. See you when you get home. Be careful." With that, Cody snapped the phone shut and rested his head against the headboard, his eyes slowly closing.

"Your dad doesn't like me traveling with you, does he?"

His eyes snapped open to see Sharyn leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom, drying her hair in the same manner Cody had. She still didn't look relaxed; just tense, sullen. Cody went to answer, but was cut off by a knock on the door. Sharyn languidly threw her towel into the corner where Cody's rested before retreating into the bathroom. "That's the pizza." He sighed as she closed the door. He hated the thought of upsetting her.

He paid for the pizza and the six pack of soda, making inaudible noises at the delivery man who was trying to make small talk with him. He closed the door and took it back to the bed. They had elected on a pepperoni and pineapple pizza; it had seemed weird to him, but Sharyn insisted he tried it. She said she used to have it all the time as a kid, and she loved it. The way her eyes looked when she remembered the little things about her childhood...they sparkled in a way that he had never seen since he had met her. When he had told her that, however, she had only shrugged her shoulders and told him ignorance had been bliss.

He shook his head; he knew she was upset. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that she had come to the conclusion that his father thought she was a groupie, a gold digger. She would have to be inhuman for it not to bother her. She was good at hiding it, but at the end of the day, when her eyes were closed and she was stuck in her fitful slumbers, everything tortured her mind. And there was nothing he could do about it. The pain never left, never faded; just danced in her mind night after night, each one clamoring for more and more attention.

Cody knocked quietly on the bathroom door. "Sharyn. Come on out...dinner's here."

He heard the water shut off and the door opened. She looked surprisingly well composed, but the look in her eyes definitely said she was hurt. "Your dad thinks I'm a gold digger, doesn't he?"

Cody shook his head. "Far from it, Sharyn. Come on. You can just hear the pepperoni and pineapple calling out to you." She shook her head, a soft smile tugging at her features as he led her towards the bed. She sat down and he went to grab some plates. She went to help, but he motioned for her to sit still. He flashed her a charming smile as she opened the pizza box and grabbed a can of Coke. He studied her as she changed the television channel.

"What's this?" he asked, sitting down beside her on his bed. He handed her a plate and she put two pieces of pizza on the dish. She blushed.

"Powerpuff Girls. I used to be so into them," she confessed with a smile. "I didn't think anyone aired this stuff anymore...especially at this time of the night."

"Ugh," Cody grimaced. "I had a few classmates into this crap. With that monkey villain thing...what the hell was his name...Yoyo..."

"Mojo Jojo," she corrected, her tone so intense and serene that he had to laugh.

"So you strike me as being a Blossom fan," he said, sipping his Coke. She shook her head.

"I related more to Buttercup."

"Which one is Buttercup."

"The green one. The bitch." Cody chuckled as she took a bite of her pizza. "I used to think X-Men: Evolution ruled all, too."

"You were an X-Men fan."

"Correction, Rhodes – I _am_ an X-Men fan. I always thought it would be so awesome to be Shadowcat. I mean, could you imagine it? Walking through walls and disappearing through floors? Just being a person with the ability to be contained by nothing?" He could see something in her eyes that he couldn't put his finger on.

"I was a huge Gambit fan," Cody replied. "Everything about him ruled. The accent, the outfit, the cards. Gambit was just a badass." Sharyn raised an eyebrow.

"I would have pegged you as a Wolverine fanboy." Cody laughed, almost choking on his Coke.

"Wolverine's overrated." He took a bite of pizza. "So you're a real superhero fan, huh?"

She nodded. "Superman bores the hell out of me though. I don't know why. Him, Green Hornet and Aquaman."

"Are there any real Aquaman fans out there?" he asked, laughing. "Like seriously?"

"I have no idea. But I always thought Batman had the coolest villains. I think Joker and Harley Quinn totally school Hobgoblin and Green Goblin." Cody laughed.

"I never would have pegged you as a superhero freak."

"I was a big Sailor Moon fan, too," she said. Cody grimaced and began to make choking noises. She laughed. "Oh, no. You are _not_ going to rag on the Sailor Scouts."

"That was like the worst crap I have ever seen on TV," he said with a shake of his head. "All the girls used to sing the theme at school..."

"Fighting evil by moonlight...winning love by daylight..." They erupted into fits of giggles as Sharyn attempted to sip on her Coke.

"The girls used to play that stuff on the playground and crush on Tuxedo Mask. They'd treat me like I was the biggest prick when I reminded them that he was a cartoon character." Sharyn laughed.

"Do I detect a note of jealousy?"

"Over a cartoon character? Please," Cody laughed. They continued to watch the Powerpuff Girls and Cody told her to stay put while he put the dinner stuff away.

"Come here," he told her after putting everything in the fridge. He maneuvered her between his legs on the bed. Sharyn knew she should feel some form of panic, but she couldn't.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm thinking maybe if I get this big knot out of the back of your neck, you might actually have a relaxing sleep tonight," he told her. She felt his hands on the base of her neck and she tensed. "My God, Sharyn, that lump is huge."

"My doctor tells me I'm wound up tighter than a stopwatch," she told him. He smiled.

"Mine tells me I have the sleep habits of a crackhead." They laughed.

"Nice doctor."

"He's a British fellow. Really cool." She leaned her head back as she felt his fingers push hard into the lump. She bit back a moan; she didn't want to look like a total idiot in front of him.

"Has the doctor ever given you anything or suggested anything to keep the lump down?"

"Don't be stressed."

"Don't be stressed?" Cody sighed. "Great advice. What a tool."

"I'll agree with you there." An old cartoon came on that Sharyn didn't know about. She rested her head forward and it was the last thing she remembered before she drifted into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight**

Sharyn awoke several hours later to find herself on Cody's bed. She was embarassed that she had fallen asleep against Cody as he had rubbed the tension out of her. Sitting up, she realized she was alone on the bed. She was surprised; she hadn't even felt Cody move. Looking over to what would have been her bed, she found Cody asleep, his breathing slow and even, sleeping under a sheet. He had given her the blanket from his bed to make sure she wasn't cold. He hadn't wanted to wake her by moving her, so he had just given her his blanket and had settled into the other bed. She smiled softly; it was too sweet of him. She gathered the blanket and slowly got out of bed, staring at Cody's sleeping form silhouetted by the moonlight that shone through the window. Moving swiftly, quietly, she spread the blanket over him. He stirred, but didn't wake up, only brought the blanket closer to him. She made sure his feet were covered before going into the bathroom, closing the door. Turning on the light, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. _Why can't I sleep?_ Sharyn thought to herself. She turned on the water and splashed her face to take down the sudden burning in her eyes. She gazed at her reflection again, watching the beads of water cascade down her face.

She could still feel Snitsky's presence. She wondered if she was suffering from paranoid delusions, but she definitely had the feeling he was close; that he wasn't staying at home with her mother. Sharyn knew that she probably should call her mother, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. They knew where she was heading anyways, she was sure of it.

She thought about Cody. Was it really fair that she was dragging him into all this? He was such a good guy; he didn't deserve her baggage. He was just trying to make a career for himself, to help launch his friend out of the indies into the big leagues, to eventually join him. She felt like she was bringing him down, dragging him into an unknown, potentially dangerous situation.

Turning off the light and exiting the bathroom, she decided to step outside for some fresh air. The alarm clock on the nightstand said it was four in the morning; the sun would be rising within the next few hours. Moving as quietly as she could, she stepped outside in her bare feet, reveling in the cold air that greeted her. It was still raining; only softer than it had been the night before. She could smell the heavy scent of rain in the air, a smell that she loved.

Sharyn never complained about the life she led; she always felt that the obstacles made people who they were and determined what strength they possessed. But as she sat on the wooden walkway, feet dangling over to the ground and feeling the wet grass between her toes, she wondered just why she couldn't have been blessed with a normal life; why mothers who weren't prepared were allowed to have children.

She thought about her father. What made her think he was going to take her in? And then what? She was going to go back where she came from somehow and go back to life with her mother and Gene. The thought made her shudder. Sharyn silently vowed to herself at that moment that she would never go back to life with Gene. If she had to leave the continent, she would never go back. It was only going to be a matter of time before he made a pass at her, and she knew it.

The sky was a steely blue, growing lighter steadily by the minute. She couldn't wait until the pink snuck its way into the solid backdrop, before blending with a soft orange as the sun made its presence known to the world. It had been so long since she had been awake in time to see a sunrise; with all the stress in her life, she realized just how much of the simple things she had missed out on in life. But the bigger problems always seemed to override the simple joys in life.

She leaned her head against the wooden rail, the damp wood against her head. She was exhausted, but she knew she wasn't going to get back to sleep. She thought about Cody; she knew his father probably wasn't happy that he had picked up a runaway; he probably thought she was some kind of groupie or something. The idea of that made Sharyn twitch in hurt.

Cody's eyes came open at about five thirty and noticed immediately Sharyn wasn't in her bed. He sighed; she had put the blanket over him. He smiled at her thoughtfulness and got out of bed. She wasn't in the room; he knew that. He grabbed his jacket and made his way outside. It was still raining. Sharyn was seated against the wooden rail, not even acknowledging his presence. He smiled. She had fallen back asleep waiting for the sun to rise.

Sitting down beside her, he draped his jacket over her shoulders, maneuvering awkwardly, trying not to wake her up. But she stirred, her emerald eyes coming alive as they focused on Cody. She blushed in embarassment. "It's dangerous falling asleep outside in the middle of nowhere, you know," he told her, but a soft smile crossed his face.

"I..." Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I don't even remember falling asleep. The sun...I was waiting for it."

He smiled. "Well, it's not quite out yet. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," she said, straightening up and pulling the jacket around her shoulders. "It's been years since I've watched a sunrise." She stared down at her feet resting in the grass. "You're up early."

"Life of a wrestler. My body clock is so screwed." She smiled. "What's your excuse?"

"Just couldn't sleep," she answered. "So I thought I'd watch the sunrise. I needed some air anyways."

"Did you sleep all right?"

"You didn't have to leave me sleeping, Cody," she said with a shake of her head. "I can't believe I fell asleep on you like that." Cody laughed.

"I wouldn't worry about it. You obviously needed the rest," he told her. She was silently grateful that he hadn't tried anything with her; most men she knew would have done it in a second and not felt a twinge of remorse. "How do you figure the sun is going to rise with this rain?" he asked.

"The news said that the sun would rise this morning and the rain would stop." Cody remembered hearing that on the radio. But staring out at the light rain that drizzled in the empty parking lot, Cody was sure that the newscast was wrong.

"I don't think it's happening, Sharyn," he told her softly. She leaned her head back against the rail. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," she told him, but he knew she was lying to him. And he knew better than to try and drag it out of her. So he just made himself comfortable on the walkway and watched as the rainfall finally stopped a half hour later, followed a short time later by the sun slowly beginning to rise.


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine**

Sharyn laid her head back against the passenger's seat, her eyes gazing out the window at the other sporadic passing vehicles on the road, going to destinations she pondered. Were any of them traveling to compete with Cody? Or were there any of them who were going to see the show? Or was there a family reunion? She thought way too much, she decided, and attempted to not think about anything. She was exhausted; the movement of the car on the road relaxing her, yet unable to soothe the stress and the paranoia that had settled in on her since Gene had cornered Cody on the road. From his spot in the driver's seat, Cody would shoot occasional glances at her, wondering if she was okay, but unsure if he should come right out and ask. After all, there was a lot she wasn't telling him, even though there was a lot he wanted to help out with. He respected she was so private, but he hated it at the same time.

Her voice broke the thick silence in the car.

"Cody, have you ever done the groupie thing?"

Cody almost swerved the car, taken aback by her question. He shook his head and regained his composure, keeping his brown eyes fixated on the long stretch of road ahead of him. "That's random," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. You don't seem like the type to do it, but have you ever given it a shot?" He thought about how to answer. It was a tad uncomfortable to talk about these things with her, but there was something about her that he trusted enough to talk honestly about these things.

"No," he said. "I don't dig tramps." Cody shook his head, thinking about what could have possibly made her bring up such a thing. He sighed as it dawned on him. "It's about what my dad said last night, isn't it?" She didn't have to answer him; he could see it in her features that what Dusty had inferred had really bothered her. "Look, Sharyn, he doesn't really know the entire situation. He was just asking to see what was going on. If he knew you, he would know that you're not some kind of a groupie." Sharyn nodded and stared out the window of the passenger's seat, though it seemed like she was unsatisfied with Cody's answer, like she sensed he was just allievating her paranoia. Cody knew that it was probably time to change the subject, before she became quiet again, lost in her thoughts that she shared with nobody. The worst part was he didn't really have anything else to say. He was running out of things to talk about with her. And it didn't help that she was a woman of so few words. Their conversations were generally pretty short.

"Sharyn, have you thought about what you're going to say to your father when you see him?" Cody asked. Sharyn shrugged.

"Not really. What do you say to somebody who has avoided you pretty much your entire life?" she asked.

"Are you going to be okay?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I'm just overwhelmed at the moment. What if he doesn't want to see me? The last thing I'm doing is going all the way back to Mom and Gene after I travelled across Hell's half-acre."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Cody told her. "And if anything goes wrong like that, you track me down, all right? I'll leave you my number in case." She looked at him. She couldn't imagine him wanting anything more to do with her baggage-infested soul after he dropped her off.

"Cody..."

"Sharyn, I'm dead serious. You're my friend and if you need me, I don't mind helping you out," he informed her, his tone leaving no room for argument. Sharyn was uncomfortably silent. Cody sighed. "Your father would be crazy to not want you. Any father would be proud to have you," he told her. "You're smart, creative, beautiful, and the most important thing is you're strong. Definitely stronger than me, I tell you." She smiled.

"We're all strong people at heart," she replied softly. "Some just have to show it sooner than others." They exchanged soft smiles before her gaze went back out the window. She felt the familiar craving burning at her nerves and twitching in her lips. It was for a cigarette, something she knew she couldn't have, Cody would make damn sure of that. She gave Cody a lot of credit for caring enough to keep her from going back to her cigarettes. But it didn't stop her from wanting one. She leaned her head against the cool glass. "You know," she said softly, "I think you're the best friend I've ever had."

The statement surprised Cody. He wondered about what people she knew back in her old life and imagined it wasn't very good if she was telling somebody she barely knew that he was her best friend. He cleared his throat. "Thanks."

"Why, though?"

"Why not?" he asked her. "Sure, you're a little bit too quiet, but I'm sure if I can rope you into a night with my friends we'd change that." She smiled. "Come on. Tell me about your friends at home."

She shook her head. "I don't really have any friends. They're either too repulsed by Gene to come around or they're sick of me bailing on plans to take care of my mom all the time." He shook his head. It sounded like she was surrounded by partygoing flakes.

"Come on. There has to be at least one that has seen you through everything and doesn't complain." Sharyn shook her head.

"I thought it was my friend Bailey, but she gave up on me before I decided to run away," she said, shaking her head. "She hated that I was so private, but she never really wanted to hear about my problems anyways." She shook her head. "And after she got her boyfriend, I pretty much became the Black Plague to her." Cody shook his head. "How about you? What's your friend circle like?"

"I've got a good one. Most of them are wrestlers or gamers, or both," he answered. "Ted's my best friend. I've known him for years; his dad and my dad were both big name wrestlers and so we'd see each other quite a bit from the time we were kids." She smiled.

"That's cool. You're a gamer?"

"Yeah."

"What's your favorite?"

"Legend of Zelda," he said without hesitations. She laughed. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling. But Cody refused to let it die.

"No, I'm serious. What?" She sighed and decided to just spit it out.

"I totally had you pegged as a Final Fantasy fanboy." He laughed, his shoulder shaking with the force of it. When Sharyn realized he wasn't offended, she joined in with the laughter.

"Screw that shit; Link is king," he proclaimed. "I even have the triangles on my boots." Sharyn laughed harder and Cody smirked. It was nice hearing her laugh, seeing her smile. "What about you? You strike me as a Mario lover."

She shook her head. "I'm not really a gamer. When I do, though, I guess it's Tetris." He laughed.

"Old school." He shook his head. "I don't have the patience for Tetris."

"You and half the western hemisphere," she retorted. He laughed. "I mean it. I know a few people...it's a vulgar haiku and then the sound of the controller hitting the machine. And heaven forbid you remind them it's just a game." He laughed. "Dave was like that."

"Dave?"

"The one before Gene. I actually kinda liked him. He was a big guy; lot of tattoos. Always dressed nice. He had a daughter that was on her own and a daughter that was living with her grandmother because he traveled all the time."

"What did he do?"

"He worked for an airline. He always liked hanging out with me, helping me with my homework. I know he missed his daughters; so he kind of took me on as a daughter."

"So why did things end between him and your mom?"

"My mom was drinking heavily during that period. I mean, heavier than she does now. He couldn't take it anymore. So he had to leave. He felt like she was going to drag him down, and he was even more worried that she was going to drag me down, too. The night he left, he pulled me aside and told me I was good enough to do big things, and to never forget that."

"Sounds like a nice guy," Cody commented.

"He does. Last I heard, he moved back to Florida to be with his youngest daughter. Which is good for him. It was hard for him to be so far away from the kids." Cody nodded. She ran her hands through her hair; it was still hard to talk about the night Dave had left. Sharyn had taken it harder than her mother had; to Sharyn, the end of the world had befallen her. "He was the only decent guy my mom ever brought home. The rest of them would leer at me like I was a piece of meat, or get hammered and beat on my mom. It's why I couldn't understand why she could just let Dave go...it's almost like she enjoys the treatment."

"It's a vicious cycle," Cody told her. "And it's not easy to break that cycle." Sharyn didn't really have anything to say to that. She only shrugged and stared back out the window. He was surprised; she had opened up to him a little about something personal. He continued to drive, a smile crossing his handsome features. He was sure they could reach their destination today; they were ahead of schedule. And after that, he knew the smile wouldn't last very long.


End file.
